In 79 A.D., a sudden booming sound interrupted the daily routine of life on the slopes of mount Vesuvius. A column of volcanic material rose to a height of 14 km, releasing a shower of lapilli and pumice that began to be deposited on Pompeii and the neighbouring towns by the wind. It was the beginning of the catastrophe. Within a few hours, the volcano released an astounding amount of pyroclastic material that would transform the landscape of the Vesuvian area forever. Herculaneum was first hit by fiery clouds with a temperature of around 400 °C, travelling at speeds of over 80 km per hour, and then by mudslides that buried the city under a blanket of around 20 m of volcanic material.

In 79 A.D., a sudden booming sound interrupted the daily routine of life on the slopes of mount Vesuvius. A column of volcanic material rose to a height of 14 km, releasing a shower of lapilli and pumice that began to be deposited on Pompeii and the neighbouring towns by the wind. It was the beginning of the catastrophe. Within a few hours, the volcano released an astounding amount of pyroclastic material that would transform the landscape of the Vesuvian area forever. Herculaneum was first hit by fiery clouds with a temperature of around 400 °C, travelling at speeds of over 80 km per hour, and then by mudslides that buried the city under a blanket of around 20 m of volcanic material.

The most important discovery in the area of the Ancient Beach was made on 3 August 1982 when, in front of the Suburban Baths, the keel of a boat capsized by the fury of the eruption began to emerge from the volcanic mud. The boat, which was over 9 m long and resembled a modern skiff, was crewed by three pairs of rowers and steered by a helmsman. According to the most recent theories, it could have been a military lance from the fleet led by Pliny the Elder, which sailed from Misenum to come to the aid of the city threatened by the eruption. This intriguing hypothesis is supported by the fact that, not far from the boat, the skeleton of an officer was found wearing a belt from which hung a sheathed sword and a dagger.